Oxon Hill, Md. (AP) Democrats who desperately look for a new message and withdraw against the Trump administration will choose a new leader on Saturday in a low-profile Democratic National Committee election, the gigantic impact on the future of the future Party could have.
More than 400 DNC members from each state and every US territory have gathered for the elections in a suburb of Washington, which contains a number of candidates that are dominated by party insiders. The outgoing chair Jaime Harrison is not looking for a re -election.
Most candidates recognize that the democratic brand is badly damaged, but only a few promise fundamental changes. In fact, there is almost three months after Donald Trump won the referendum and had to the bottom of the most vital democratic constituencies. There is hardly any approval about what exactly went wrong.
In view of an encouraged Trump presidency, however, the leading candidates speak tough.
“When we shock about the horror that Trump visited municipalities in the communities in the communities and top candidate for the DNC chairman.
The choice takes place less than two weeks after Trump’s inauguration, when democratic leaders have difficulties to face the mere volume of the orders, pardoning, changes in personnel and controversy relationships that adopt in the new administration. The next DNC ​​chairman would serve as the face of the democratic reaction and at the same time facilitate to coordinate the political strategy and to repair the party’s brand.
Only 31% of voters have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, according to a survey of Quinnipiac University published this week, which offers a dramatic contrast to Trumps GOP. 43 percent of voters have a positive opinion of the Republican Party.
The leading candidates for the DNC chairman, Wisconsin Wikler and Ken Martin von Minnesota, are chairwoman of the state state party. They promise to realign the democratic message about the voters of the working class, to strengthen the democratic infrastructure across the country and to improve the party’s anti-Trump rapid reaction system.
They have promised not to shy away from the party’s commitment to diversity and minorities, a pillar of the newfangled democratic party. But if Martin (51) or Wikler (43) is chosen as expected, either the first white man would be the DNC since 2011.
Also in the race: Marianne Williamson, activist and author; Former governor of Maryland and Biden Administration, Martin O’malley; And Faiz Shakir, who headed Bernie Sanders’s last presidential campaign.
Shakir called for comprehensive changes within the party, such as B. more coordination with the unions and less focus on minority groups sorted by race and gender. Shakir, the only Muslim who was looking for the chair, was solely during a candidate forum this week to oppose the creation of a Muslim caucus at the DNC.
But he tried to get traction.
Shakir refused to collect money for the competition and decorate his modest stand with pictures of his little children with colored pencils at the meeting this week. In contrast, Martin and Wikler organized potential supporters in immense hotel suites, which were adorned with dozens of professionally printed signs and were offered T-shirts, sunglasses and food.
Wikler asked questions about his relationship with the democratic donor Reid Hoffman, the billionaire with LinkedIn. But he collected his fundraisers as an asset. In fact, the DNC chair is expected to enhance tens of millions of dollars to facilitate the Democrats win elections.
Some democratic leaders are still concerned about the direction of their party.
“As positive as I am and as hopeful I am, I look at it in real time and think of myself:” We are in real difficulties because I see no wish to change, “said Democratic Chairman Jeanna Repass Candidate for the deputy DNC chair.
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